Nine Extraordinary Individuals Honored by Ben-Gurion University

Eight talented individuals received honorary doctorates from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev on May 17 during the 52nd Board of Governors Meeting.

They include: one author, one CEO, three philanthropists, one rabbi, one scientist, and one university chancellor from five different countries.

The recipients were: Sylvan Adams, Israel; Rabbi Denise L. Eger, USA; David Grossman, Israel; Timotheus Höttges, Germany; Cyndi and Max Mintzberg, Canada; Prof. Louise Richardson, United Kingdom; and Prof. Nahum Sonenberg, Canada & Israel.

Harold Paisner of the United Kingdom received the President’s Award “in recognition of over 3 decades of commitment, in a completely voluntary capacity, to the University’s vision and success.”

“Our university proudly bears the name of David Ben-Gurion,” Ben-Gurion University President Prof. Daniel Chamovitz said at the ceremony, “and we strive daily to meet the standards set by this great man, to adhere to his values, and to realize his vision. We, who aspire to hold up his values, believe that anything is possible, and work with determination and vision to create a new reality.”

“We bestow this honor upon individuals who exemplify the characteristics that we wish to hold up as inspiration to our students, and as role models for our own community of scientists, scholars and supporters; Individuals for whom excellence is not a buzz-word, but rather, an innate value,” Prof. Chamovitz continued.

“The truth is, they don’t need us to acknowledge their accomplishments – they did not embark on their efforts to be acknowledged. We thank them for allowing us, to honor them. Their acceptance of an honorary degree from BGU, reflects that honor back on to our institution and what it stands for, providing a mirror within which we hope to see a bit of ourselves,” he said.

Rector Prof. Chaim Hames made the case for the centrality and relevance of the humanities in 21st century higher education.

“In a sense, if the humanities want to avoid becoming irrelevant or a “footnote” to STEM, they need to stop being on the defensive, stop trying to justify what it is they do, and engage much more with the public including academics and university administrators who come from other disciplines, and show them the significance, yes, even relevance, of what it is they do. They need to emphasize and show how almost every academic discipline needs to engage with the humanities, both to understand better its own essence, richness, and diversity, and to improve, critique and fine-tune the questions it asks.

“We need to step back from the trees and also see the forest, to see how our work engages with the larger questions that inform what and who we are as human beings and what our responsibilities are to future generations. And here, the humanities have a great role to play and, instead of just being stand-alone disciplines, they need to be far more integrated into the fabric of every teaching program, into the fabric of almost everything we do.

“We are working to achieve that aim here at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev by promoting the study of the humanities as a core part of almost every undergraduate degree program. It is my belief that the “skills” acquired will benefit every student regardless of her subject of choice, will help inculcate a desire for life-long learning and curiosity, and will enrich campus life and our contribution to society at large,” Prof. Hames concluded.

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